Apparatus for generating and carbureting hydrogen.



O. V. STUART.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND GARBURETING HYDROGEN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1912. RENEWED 13110.10. 1913.

Patented J an 27, 1914.

CQLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cO..\vAsmNoTON. D, c,

STAT TNT OFFICE.

CHARLES V. STUART, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND CARBURETING HYDROGEN.

Application filed November 5, 1912, Serial No. 729,640. Renewed December10, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES V. STUART, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fort North, in the county ofTarrant, State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Generating and Carbureting Hydrogen; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it a-ppertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to gas producers and has for an object to provideapparatus for manufacturing gas at a smaller cost than hitherto forilluminating and general heating and power purposes.

The improvements relate to providing a main tank which produces hydrogenand an auxiliary tank wherein the hydrogen is mixed with crude petroleumoil and thereby given its illuminating and combustible properties.-

Further improvements consist in the provision of a novel main tankequipped with superposed crates for holding scrap iron through which theacid percolates, these crates being spaced in all directions from thesides of the tank whereby the inner wall of the tank is protected frommutilation by the scrap iron.

Still further improvements consist in the provision of novel means forpreventing the acid and the oil flow from being checked by the pressureof the gas.

W'ith the above objects in view the invention consists of certain noveldetails of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, it being understood that various modificationsmay be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:--Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through the gas producer.Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the crates. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 66 Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts, 10 designates a cylindrical main tank which isclosed by a. bottom 11 and a conical top 12. Near the bottom a pair ofhorizontal spaced disk closures 13 and 14 are secured peripherally tothe wall of the tank by cleats 15, and a packing element ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

Serial No. 805,863.

fibrous nature such as asbestos waste or the like is confined betweenthese closures as shown at 16. Each closure is provided with aconcentric series of openings 17.

A crate 18 is supported on the disk closure 13 and is formed of acircular series of vertical slats 19 which are connected by circularhoops 20. The crate is of less diameter than the tank and isconcentrically arranged therein so that a space 21 exists between thecrate and tank wall. The crate is designed to be filled with scrap ironand retains the same from contact with the inner wall of the tank sothat the wall is prevented from being mutilated by the scrap iron. Abovethe crate a second pair of perforated spaced disk closures 22 and 23 areperipherally secured to the tank wall by cleats 2 1, and a fibrouspacking element 25 preferably asbestos waste is confined between theseclosures. A. second crate 26 a counterpart of the crate 18 ust describedis supported upon the closure 23 and is also designed to be filled withscrap iron. Above the crate 26 a third pair of perforated spaced diskclosures 27 and 28 are peripherally secured to the wall of the tank bycleats 29, and a packing element 30 preferably asbestos waste isconfined between these closures.

The inner wall' of the tank and also the crates and the closures may betreated with an acid resisting substance such as lead, enamel or thelike. Furthermore the marginal portion of each closure outside of thecrates is imperforate so that the acid blown down through the tank, aswill be presently described, is made to traverse the interior of thecrates.

An acid reservoir 31 is supported above the main tank and is preferablyfilled with inexpensive ingredients that will produce free hydrochloricacid (HCl), such as common salt (NaCl) and nitric acid (HNO or sulfuricacid (H 80 or other acid. hen the salt is treated with acid such asnitric acid, the reaction will be as follows:

naol+nno =nano +not WVater is also added to dilute the hydrochloric acidand thus reduce corrosive action of the same on the crates and closuresand tank.

An acid feed pipe 32 is connected to the bottom of the reservoir 31 andto the top 12 of the main tank and is equipped Within the tank with asubstantially frusto-conical perforated nozzle 33 through which the acidis sprayed on to the uppermost perforated closure 27. The hydrochloricacid percolates through the closures, packing elements and crates, andacts upon the scrap iron in the crates with a resultant formation offree hydrogen, as indicated in the following reaction.

2HCl+Fe:FeCl i-2H.

The acid is freed from precipitants during passage downward through thepacking elements and finally accumulates in the bottom of the tank whereit may be drawn off through a faucet 34.

The acid is fed into the main tank under about three pounds pressure,and also an air supply under about three pounds pressure issimultaneously fed into the tank, and mixes with the free hydrogen. Toattain this end, an air pipe 35 is preferably connected to a rotary airpump such as is shown conventionally as shown at 36, this pipe enteringthe acid feed pipe above the main tank cover, and a branch air pipe 37is connected to the main air pipe 35 and is connected to the top of theacid reservoir. This force feed prevents the gas pressure in the tankfrom interfering with the proper feeding of the acid into the tank.

The air mixed with free hydrogen, is taken from the main tank by a pipe38 which enters the main tank and confronts the lowermost scrap ironholding crate. An auxiliary tank 39 is arranged to one side of the maintank and is closed by a bottom 40 and a conical top 41. Near the top theauxiliary tank is provided with a pair of perforated spaced diskclosures 42 and 43 which are peripherally secured to the tank, andbetween these closures a packing element 45, preferably asbestos waste,is confined. The hydrogen pipe38 from the main tank enters the auxiliarytank below the lower closure 43 and is terminally directed downwardly toabout the center of the empty space below the lower closure and bottomof the tank. 7

An oil reservoir 46 is supported above the auxiliary tank and ispreferably filled with crude petroleum oil which is fed into the top ofthe tank through an oil feed pipe 47 that is connected to the bottom ofthe reservoir and t0 the top of the tank. The oil is fed under aboutthree pounds pressure, there being a branch air pipe 48 connected to themain air pipe 35 and to the top of the reservoir to attain this end. Aconvex spreader 49 is supported within the apex of the tank top by meansof a perforated frusto-conical flange 50, this spreader directing theincoming oil toward the sides of the tank. The hydrogen gas risesthrough the perforated disks 42 and 43 and packing element 45 confinedtherebetween, and mixes with the incoming crude oil which gives to thegas its illuminating and combustible properties.

The made gas is conducted from the chamber in the top of the auxiliarytank by means of an L-shaped pipe 51 the elbow of which is disposedwithin the packing element 45, the upright leg 52 of the pipeterminating I within the concavity of the convex spreader 49, and thehorizontal leg 53 of the pipe projecting through the side of the tank.The surplus oil percolates through the closures and packing element, andsaturates the latter, whereby a mixing of the hydrogen gas and oil willtakeplace during passage of the gas up through the packing element, theoil finally accumulating in the bottom of the tank and may be drawn offtherefrom by means of a faucet 54.

What is claimed, is

1. In a gas generating device, a tank, a separate scrap iron holdingcrate within said tank and spaced from the sides thereof, and a top andbottom for said crate each comprising a pair of perforated disk closuresin said tank with a porous packing element therebetween.

2. In a gas generating device, a tank, a separate scrap holding cratewithin said tank, a pair of perforated disk closures in said tank belowsaid crate with a porous packing element therebetween, a pair ofperforated disk closures in said tank above said crate with a porouspacking element therebetween, means for passing an acid through saidcrate said closures and said packing elements, and an outlet pipeconnected to said tank.

8. In a gas generating device, a tank, a separate scrap iron holdingcrate within said tank and spaced from the sides of said tank, a top anda bottom for said crate each consisting of a pair of perforated diskclosures in said tank with a porous packing ele ment therebetween, meansfor passing an acid down through said top said crate and said bottom,means for passing air under pressure down through said top said crateand said bottom, and an outlet pipe connected to said tank below saidbottom.

4. In a gas generating device, a tank, a cylindrical crate within saidtank adapted to contain scrap iron and comprising a circular series ofslats connected together by circular bands and a top and bottom for saidcrate each comprising a pair of perforated disk closures in said tankwith a porous packing element therebetween.

5. In a gas generating device, a tank, a plurality of spaced closures insaid tank each comprising a pair of perforated disks with a porouspacking element therebetween, a cylindrical skeleton crate confinedbetween adjacent closures and spaced from the side walls of said tank,an outlet pipe connected In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature, 1nthe presence of two wltnesses.

CHAS. V. STUART.

to said tank, an air inlet pipe opening through the top of said tank andadapted to force air downward under pressure through said closures andcrate, and an acid container connected to said air inlet pipe andWVitnesses: adapted to force acld under pressure into ROY STUART, saidtank along with the compressed an. W. H. Doonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatentl. Washington, D. 0.

